


Birds of Prey

by Karina0723



Category: Maleficent - Fandom
Genre: F/M, modern!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 04:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1805698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karina0723/pseuds/Karina0723
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maleficent is the CEO of one of the branches of the Conglomerate Royalty Inc. She keeps herself busy with work and her goddaughter Aurora, until one day they both walk into a bookshop owned by one very interesting owner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birds of Prey

The express elevator bell rang as the doors opened, and it might as well been an old time bell clock hitting the midnight hour. The whole floor went into a sleep like enchantment, only brought back to life by the clicking noises from high heels.

Maleficent worked for Royalty Incorporated, one of the top conglomerates in the world. Their diverse portfolio of assets allowed the conglomerate for cross-promotion and economies of magnanimous scale. The conglomerate was virtually everywhere within the two kingdoms. Everyone used their products as they were a major international player in a number of markets; including communications, cosmetics and medical equipment along with engineering and weapons development.

She was CEO of the conglomerate’s defense branch. She was in charge of the research and development of various high tech ‘defense mechanisms’ for both the government and the private sector. These resources were also in high demand, in order to secure and protect the company’s assets, as well as its high profile employees.

Although ruthless in her character, there had been many rumors going around that she had an ongoing battle with the CEO of the Financial branch of the conglomerate. Her leadership and work tactics had brought an added value to her branch while her detractors might want to point out the high operation costs. The Financial and her own branch of the conglomerate have been on bitter terms for over a decade and a half now. 

Maleficent walked out the elevator with the same grace a victorious warrior walks over the battlefield filled with fallen enemies. Her long steps directed towards her own office, out the corner of her eyes, she saw her employees coming back to life. Sending messages, quantifying expected revenues, setting business meetings and future proposals with clients, all in a day’s work. Her angular cheekbones, luscious lips and unnerving eyes couldn’t deny her prowess in the workplace. 

She received a few messages and reminders from her assistant about her daily schedule, as they entered her office. The curly haired blonde woman tried her best to show a relaxed smile but it came more as a plea than anything else. 

Maleficent's eyes traced her every move through her office as she kept detailing the meetings and projects that needed to be finished by the end of the week. 

The young woman looked out of place. She was wearing a pale green work suit that only made her frame even more petite, while Maleficent wore the most glamorous and menacing ensemble this side of the kingdom. The idea of how her assistant clashed with her surroundings amused Maleficent even if for a few minutes before starting her day. She sat behind her black desk and almost automatically looked outside her window. It was a cloudy day outside her 28th floor office. 

Her office said as much of her character as her working attire. Nothing too revealing or too colorful, a somber and dignified atmosphere was seen all through her office with only a hint of color from the flowers by the windowsill. The flowers were a bouquet picked up by her god daughter, Aurora, with whom she had an outing today. The only part of her day that she truly looked forward, although with the way the weather looked this morning, the evening didn’t hold much promise.

The office was filled wall to wall, top to bottom, with books. Behind her, stood two imposing bookshelf with barely any free space left. Her books ranged from different sizes to different topics, from economic strategies to assertive communication and global leadership. She looked back from the windows to her desktop computer and saw it had already booted up. She entered her password and then looked up to her assistant, eagerly waiting for further directions. 

“Do you need anything else, madam?” She asked expectantly

“That should be all for now, unless it is an urgent matter that needs my immediate approval, I wish not to be disturbed for the day.” She stated dryly.  “As you order.” She responded before leaving.

Maleficent looked back to her desktop and started redacting memorandums and overlooking her branch’s research and development progress in their different projects. She had to go through every single project being handed at the moment before the quarterly reunion to disclose the information to the investors and higher management. These meeting were critical as they allowed for her to relay the progress made by her branch and permitted managers, investors and regulators to analyze her work.

Royalty Inc. was deeply invested between both kingdoms. Although each kingdom fought the other over resources and materials, the fighting had been kept for the most part over the political and financial terrains only.

By the early evening, the sun was slowly creeping its way into the sky and Maleficent was almost done with overlooking her branch’s projects. A few final touches to the memorandums, the noise of quick typing, continuous and urgent striking of keys, and deep sighs filled the room. She was thorough with her work and demanded the utmost perfection from herself as well as from her employees. She was almost done when she was interrupted by a familiar, if unwelcomed, face.

“Exactly what kind of game are you trying to play, Maleficent?

Behind Stefan Stables, head of the Financial branch of the company was her assistant, trembling like a leaf in the wind trying to explain to Maleficent this man outburst. He was standing in front of her, slamming both his fist, against her smooth black desk. Maleficent merely looked up to him, saved the most recent copy of her work, and shut down her computer. 

Stefan and Maleficent had known each other from before being employed by the company. Although no one dares to speculate how well or have far back have they known each other. Even though one aspect of the rumors stays true all the same, there was a betrayal from one of the parties involved. Nobody knows who betrayed who, but that part lingers, in the tongue of whoever is telling the rumor. This betrayal, that no one knows what exactly happened, has estranged their relation to no more of mere strangers or distant coworkers on semi friendly terms. The financial branch puts a needless strain on her branch that nearly renders her work impossible. This forced inertia prevents development of innovation.

“Good morning to you too, Mr. Stable.” She responded while relaxing back into her leather chair and looking at Stefan more like a predator looks at its prey than the startled prey looking back at its predator. He then lowered his two watery, outraged eyes to meet her gaze.

Maleficent stood up from chair and smiled the most reassuring smile possible to her assistant. She then walked over her desk ignoring the demanding man. She escorted her assistant, still trying to apologize, and instruct her to wait outside for the time being. She also informed her not to disturb them.

Maleficent closed the door and then turned around. Her dignified posture, shoulders back and elongated neck, kept her high over the fight that would ensue, while she held her hands and walked over Stefan.

“You enter my office unannounced and uninvited and yet you dare talk to me in such tone? The audacity of men.” Her tone distant and disgusted, her words sent a cold shiver down Stefan’s back. She looked him up and down and sat back down in her leather chair as she offered the seat in front of her desk.

“Please sit down and do try to explain your point.” The courteous tone, now vanished and replaced by a more evident nuisanced tone in her words.

“You know very well that I will not allow you to toy with the conglomerate’s solvency just out of a hunch of yours. I will not allow you to have this new budget, what game are you trying to play here?” Stefan was uncomfortable, he knew very well how bad this would look if it reached Mr. King, the owner and president of the conglomerate.

“So what is it you expect me to tell the investors? This hunch as you wish to call it, is for the protection of the -” he interrupted her.

“Yes, your one and only care, your ultimate agenda, to protect the Moor’s people.” He stood up, exasperated once again.

“My agenda is to protect the people, which strange enough, is exactly what my branch is for. My question to you is, are you going to stunt the company’s growth out of spite? Are you willing to face the consequences of cutting my wings, once again?” Her cold and distant demeanor now discarded. She was standing defiantly as she said those last words.

They stared each other down waiting for one of them to back down and yield.   
“Damn it” He cursed under his breath. He simply turned around and left. No answer from him, only a closed door after him. 

She fell back into her chair and raised her hands to her temples.

This is going to be a hell of a week, she thought to herself.

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter of a very unique and refreshing take! Please let me know what you think, some aspects might be changed to fit the overall feel but I'll try them to be minimal.


End file.
